England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Easingwold All Saints & St John

The Parish

The parish of Easingwold lies in central Yorkshire almost at the southern boundary of the North Riding. Easingwold is located about 13 miles northwest of the city of York. Easingwold is a small market town sitting on the eastern edge of the Vale of York close to where it buts up against the Howardian Hills. Easingwold sits just east of the A19 road which links York with Thirsk. Easingwold parish has modern communications passing through as the main East Coast rail line from London to Edinburgh passes through the west of the parish, Easingwold, however, has no station. Easingwold is very much a local market for agricultural products, it has failed to grow substantially perhaps because it is bypassed by most through routes. Today it remains a small town barely a half-mile in radius. Easingwold is drained southwards by small tributaries of the River Kyle which makes its way to join the Ouse northwest of York and thence to the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. Easingwold is sited at around 40 metres above the sea in area which is largely level and low-lying, local heights rise gently towards the Howardian Hills to Easingwold's northeast. Easingwold parish is large in area, it covered about 6,500 acres and it would have supported a population of about 2,400 parishioners. IN Domesday times Easingwold was held directly by King William, it could offer 5 ploughs, pastures & woodland as well as a mill, taxed to 51 geld units it was still a prosperous town even at that date.

The Church

All Saints & St John's church (sometimes these dedications are reversed) sits on the northwestern edge of the town on the northern side of Church Hill. Outwardly the church is typically Perpendicular bit Pevsner's closer inspection reveals a much older and modified building. The reset northern doorway he dates to c 1200 whilst closer inspection highlights many windows and doorways showing Decorated style features of the early 14th century. The western tower is undoubtedly Perpendicular and perhaps represents a restyled building from a former cruciform church (with a "lost" central crossing tower) to a more conventional late-mediaeval design of nave & chancel with the western tower. The arcades, also Perpendicular, seem to have been added at the same time as the tower to upgrade the capacity to one appropriate for a small market town. The church sits behind a low brick wall with entrance at the western end of the site through an attractive lychgate. There are many trees crowding around, especially the western end, and these limit the best photographic angles somewhat.